Brian Douglas
Just like two-seat sportscars, convertibles are nice halos for automakers, but there’s not much volume to help amortize development and manufacturing costs. In the luxury brand category, just BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Lexus offer convertibles on our shores. Audi was a player until last year and Lexus has just one convertible, the six-figure LC500.
Our BMW M440i sits right in the middle of the company’s mid-size convertible offerings that begin with the 430i with its 255 HP turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and ascend to the M4 with its turbo 3.0-liter six-cylinder making 523 HP. And the prices match the performance, from $59,150 for the 430i to $96,000 for the M4. On balance, our well-equipped M440i with a $78,345 total window sticker and 386 HP seemed just the right balance of performance, price and fuel economy.
BMW’s “M” designation stands for Motorsport and is most famously applied to specific, high performance models, but over a few years has also appeared as a trim level like our M440i or even an appearance trim package option. Brand dilution is apparently a marketing affliction, but although our car wasn’t as fiercely alacritous as the pricier M4, it contained plenty of M. Just select the performance mode and the exhaust sound awoke while the suspension and steering tightened up. Speaking of steering, even the red leather band was sewn into the top of the steering wheel for those corner exits when you want to know where you’re pointed.
The weather was perfectly mild and sunny, so I put the top down, an effort that was just a rocker switch push even at low speeds and the cabin is reasonably quiet with the top up or down. In either position, the car is rock solid, handling crisp and controlled and the brakes fully up to the task of controlling its 4,171-pound curb weight unless you’re at a track day. And if you’re tracking a BMW, I’d suggest an M4 Competition Coupe. Meantime the 0-to-60 sprints in our car arrived in a very competitive 4.5-seconds.
The M440i convertible is really a two-plus-two seating configuration where the driver and front passenger are living luxuriously, but rear seat passengers should best be rather small in physical stature. Full size adults may enjoy a short drive in back, but don’t press your luck. All passengers are treated to a sparkling Harman Kardon Surround Sound and are seated in Canberra Beige perforated leather. The trunk space is a bit petite to accommodate the top, but luggage for two is easily stowed.
Like most red-blooded car enthusiasts, if money were no object I’d be temped to step up to the near six-figure M4 convertible. But after a week in this splendid BMW, I was quite pleased with its balance of performance and luxury. And if you’re shopping in this segment, the Mercedes-Benz CLE 450 is the other true rival.
THE FINE PRINT
2025 BMW M440i Convertible
TYPE: Front-engine, rear-wheel-drive
ENGINE: 3.0-liter Turbocharged I-6
HORSEPOWER: 386 @ 5,200 RPM
TORQUE: 398 lb.ft. @ 1,900 RPM
BASE PRICE: $72,250
AS TESTED: $78,345
FUEL CONSUMPTION: 27-city, 33-highway, 29-combined
Brian Douglas has driven everything with wheels during his career in automotive technical, marketing and journalism professions. If you have a question or story to share, he can be reached at brian@autoeditor.com.